I've been thinking about it for a few years, but I finally took the plunge and built a washtub bass!
For now, it has a relatively smooth, inexpensive 0.080 weed whacker string. The surprise is that because the string is a thick monofilament, it's very hard to tie a knot in it. I was able to tie it at the tub end, but I'm having difficulty lashing it securely at the stick end.
If I were a bachelor, or wanted to become a bachelor, I would buy a stand-up bass or an acoustic bass guitar as an experiment. But this makes more sense now in terms of cost and the fact that it can live in my garage.
Might try using a hitch or bend instead of hard knot; many would work fine; some depends on how easy might want to detach it; or easily adjust tension. If you drill hole in the stick, can offer some other options.
I can't seem to find 80 weed wacker that's round anymore, it's all hex or such.
I do have a hole drilled through the stick. I was essentially tying variations of a clove hitch. The hitches would hold under tension, especially if I pressed my hand against it. But if I let up the tension, it came apart.
I may try a fisherman's bend, aka anchor bend.
I know this line is popular for washtub bases, so it surprises me that it's so difficult to tie
There is round 0.080 weed whacker line out there. What I read is that you have to look for the cheap stuff, so that's what I did.
If you decide to experiment with string materials, you could try cotton (not polyester) clothesline. That's what I've heard, but I've never used it. Good luck!
Edited by - Earworm on 05/28/2023 06:05:21
@earworm, thanks for the clothesline suggestion. For now I'm going to stick to thinner strings so that I don't have to drill out the hole in the stick.
Today I simply tied a figure eight stopper knot in the line. That seemed to hold pretty well, and I know I can easily loosen it to adjust length. So that's my solution unless a better one arises.
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